Friends of Albella Boys Home, Darjeeling
Registered Charity No. 1155956
Accounts for the year ended 31st July 2025
General Page 1 Information Committee's Pages 2-3 Report Page 4 Independent Examiner's Report Statement of Assets and Page 5 Liabilities Page 6 Receipts and Payments Account
Treasurer Niall Burroughs 14 Hamesmoor Road Mytchett Surrey GU16 6JB
Friends of Albella Boys Home, Darjeeling Registered Charity No. 1155956
General information
| Constitution | Dated 17th January 1998 with amendments agreed: |
|---|---|
| 27th November 2010, 11th June 2011, 5th November 2011 | |
| and 17th November 2012. Replaced by a new Constitution | |
| agreed 2nd November 2013, with amendments agreed | |
| 29th January, 5th April, and 23rd May 2014, and 6th May | |
| 2021. The new Constitution changed the name of the | |
| Charity which, after the 29th January 2014 amendment, | |
| was registered by the Charity Commission. | |
| Registration | On 27th February 2014 with number 1155956. |
| as Charity | |
| Address | 8 Westbury Avenue, Fleet, Hants GU51 3HP |
| Committee | Chairman Mark Brett |
| Treasurer Niall Burroughs |
|
| Members Sarah Brett |
|
| Paul Einchcomb | |
| Alan Pickett | |
| Christopher Spackman | |
| Jacqui Searle | |
| Sushil Gaikwad | |
| Bankers | Lloyds Bank plc, PO Box 1000, Andover BX1 1LT |
| Independent | Jeremy Evans FCA |
| Examiner | 1 Ramsdell Road, Fleet GU51 1DB |
| Main objects | The relief of poverty and hardship and the advancement of education, |
| training and health of children and young people in the Darjeeling | |
| District of India, in particular, but not exclusively, by the provision of | |
| funds towards the costs of Albella Boys Home, Kalimpong, and its | |
| staff, and the education of girls not resident in the home, all within | |
| a Christian ethos. |
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Friends of Albella Boys Home, Darjeeling Registered Charity No. 1155956
FABHD Committee’s Report for the year ended 31st July 2025
Section A: Overview of history, numbers, typical day, costs, and management. Section B: Relating to the year 1.8.24 to 31.7.25.
A: Overview
Founded by two British Missionaries in 1961 in Kalimpong in Darjeeling District, India, Albella is a home and school run on Christian values but respectful of all religions by an all-Indian staff. It currently gives free education to approximately 140 children mostly aged 5-19, comprising approximately 100 boys and 40 girls. The girls all live with their parents who are too poor to be able to send them to school. All residents are invited to daily morning & evening prayers & Sunday service but many remain Hindus and there are a few Buddhists.
Albella has two sites, Senior and Junior, separated by a two minute walk. Though the main Senior site is not owned but rented for a small sum, it is permanently secured under Indian law. Albella Boys Home part-owns the leasehold of the Junior site where it has its own Bon Ami Primary School.
Costs and donations
There are three main sources of funds for Albella: sponsors of resident boys (mostly in the UK) - individuals, churches, schools, or groups like Rotary; occasional donors; and a Danish agency funds some of Bon Ami Primary School costs and some capital projects.
Each UK sponsor is given the name and photo of a particular resident boy whose annual total costs are estimated to be £336 so sponsors have been encouraged to try to meet that target or £28 per month. By signing a Gift Aid form, the target has been only £268.80 per annum or £22.40 per month, given directly to Albella Boys Home. The Trustees are currently reviewing this amount. This pays for the boy's accommodation, food, clothes, school fees, two sets of uniform, books, stationery, shoes, socks, tie, tiny pocket money (with extra for Independence Day 15[th] August), birthday and Christmas presents. All boys are treated equally, so they each get similar presents on the one Birthday Day in July and at the Christmas party. Many sponsors give much more than our target and the surplus is used for the benefit of the home. A small proportion of that target figure goes towards funding the following: Albella's adjacent Bon Ami Primary School with its eight classes from Nursery to Class V; staff costs including our Principal, food-transporting vehicles; and the new photo and letter each Christmas giving sponsors the pleasure of reading about and seeing the changes in their boy or girl as they grow up.
The handful of sponsors who fund the education of girls are also given the name and photo of their own girl. As these girls are non-resident, costs are much lower, requiring an annual target figure of £100, approximately 1/3[rd] of the costs of a resident boy.
Management
There are two committees, one in India and FABHD in the UK. They exchange their minutes and accounts and their comments on them. In May 2024 the Indian Committee appointed Naomi (daughter of the former Principal Heshron Rahmi) as the new Principal. Naomi is well known to four of the UK trustees and this is seen as a positive appointment. It should be noted that her appointment was not advocated by her father but he is supportive of her appointment. They have been in a period of transition from May 2024.
Contact between the Principal, Naomi Lygdoh-Rahmi, and the UK officers is at least monthly. Naomi and the UK Chairman are in regular contact about Albella.
The Indian Management Committee consists of 6 volunteers and the Principal who writes the minutes. Its Chairman is a retired lecturer from Kalimpong Government College. Her name is Mrs Rinzi Namchu. Her late husband was a pastor and principal of Mirik Bible School. Albella Boys Home Trust is registered in India under the Indian Societies Registration Act 1860, Charitable Trust Deed no.Trust/718/10A/VOL/BI/A-109. Albella is also registered for receiving foreign grants (FCRA no.146980019) with the Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi. This FCRA registration was re-confrmed in December 2024 for a period of five years. Its accounts are audited in India and those audited statements of accounts go to India’s Ministry of Home Affairs and also to the Indian Government's Income Tax Department, both online and hard copies.
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Friends of Albella Boys Home, Darjeeling (FABHD), a society which was registered as a charity with the UK Charity Commission in 2014, retained its working name of Albella Boys Home so no change was needed to bank accounts or to regular bank gifts from sponsors. The FABHD Committee pays the Principal an annual allowance, which is the only salary she receives. The Committee consists of volunteers and aims to meet, physically or virtually, twice a year for a 90 minute meeting. When meetings are physical, they are generally followed by lunch and take place in a different committee member’s house each time. No travelling or hospitality expenses are given. Its offices are the homes of its unpaid officers, Chairman, Administrator and Treasurer. The Chairman's letter regularly encourages existing sponsors to join the committee. Those interested are invited first as observers after which the existing committee members decide on whether to approve the observer as a new committee member.
Administration costs for 2024-25 were only £66 equating to 0.15% of income. This is lower than normal as the invoice for website costs was not submitted before the 31[st] July and will be included next year. The main expenses are the cost of our website, postage, paper, ink, copying, but no advertising; otherwise, all money is available to India. Sponsors get only one postal mailing a year in early December, with a photo and a Christmas card, a report from the Principal, Treasurer’s statement, and letter from the Chairman.
B. Relating to the year 1.8.24 to 31.7.25
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Public benefit : Having considered the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, the Committee is confident that their Charity’s activities meet the public benefit requirement.
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Constitution and accounts: Our Constitution (as a society) and our accounts are on the website, along with this annual report. Thanks to Niall Burroughs, our accounts have again been finalised and published after an independent examination by Jeremy Evans FCA, who generously waives all fees.
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Communications: As reported in 2019, we have registered the domain name albellaboyshome.org.uk for a period of 10 years and the website www.albellaboyshome.org.uk is operational but remains “work in progress”. It is hoped that it will prove useful to existing donors and as a means of recruiting new sponsors, especially when they view the remarkably low running costs of FABHD. An increasing number of sponsors have downloaded a Gift Aid form and Banker's Order and, instead of continuing to use Stewardship (whose administration charges were recently increased), now pay FABHD direct, saving costs and increasing the tax relief for FABHD via our Treasurer.
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Committee: The Committee comprises Chairman, Treasurer, and six members.
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Albella Residents: Following the pandemic, things have almost returned to normal although some boys have gone down with fevers and coughs as would usually be expected of school age children.
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Sponsors: Each committee member takes on the responsibility to find at least one new sponsor or significant donation each year. Most sponsors remain with Albella for 10-20 years, and some much longer, and this loyalty is much appreciated. Inevitably there is some turnover of sponsors (below 10% each year) through death, old age, and changing circumstances especially when times are tough.
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Water problems: The supply from the bore well which was drilled in 2016 has provided a much-needed supply of fresh water with this well being able to produce in excess of 2,000 litres of water daily. The Monsoon this year has caused no serious problems at Albella and all the underground water tanks are filled to capacity: this with the bore well supply eases the water problems at Albella.
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Gas : The high cost of cooking gas continues although the supply has been much better during this year, and the usage of gas has been greatly reduced.
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Landslides and earthquakes: There has been no experience of earthquakes during this reporting year but there were significant floods which washed away the road to Siliguri.
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Computers: The introduction of new computers remains an issue. One of the problems associated with their introduction is the very poor internet connectivity in the area but we remain keen to resolve the whole issue as we believe that it will greatly assist the older boys with their studies for their higher-class examinations. We still intend to supply each teacher in the Bon Ami school with a device and a screen to allow the teachers to move away from writing everything with chalk on a blackboard. We have recently started that process by providing funds for two multi-purpose screens to be used by Bon Ami. We have also funded an internet connection for Teachers’ use. The teachers will be able to download information of interest and use that information within the classrooms.
11. Reserves policy: Our reserves policy remains unchanged, that is broadly not to build up reserves in the absence of a specific project. The cash held at the year-end in part reflects an accumulation of General donations the use of which is under discussion with the Principal.
Approved by the Committee and signed on 1st November 2025 by the Chairman on their behalf
Mark Brett
………………………………………… Mark Brett
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Friends of Albella Boys Home, Darjeeling
Registered Charity No. 1155956
Independent examiner's report to the Committee of Friends of Albella Boys Home, Darjeeling
I report to the Committee on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the charity") for the year ended 31st July 2025, which are set out on pages 5 and 6.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act").
I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and, in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which give me cause to believe that, in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Jeremy Evans
Jeremy Evans FCA 1 Ramsdell Road Fleet GU51 1DB
1/11/25
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Friends of Albella Boys Home, Darjeeling
Registered Charity No. 1155956
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 31st July 2025
| Bank balances COIF Charities Deposit Account Lloyds Bank Business Investment Lloyds Bank Current (Treasurer's) Total bank balances Net assets at the year end |
Restricted Unrestricted Funds Funds £ £ 20,000.00 26,864.31 7,998.79 277.92 160.47 27,142.23 28,159.26 27,142.23 28,159.26 |
Total Funds £ 20,000.00 34,863.10 438.39 55,301.49 55,301.49 |
31.7.24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ 20,000.00 39,276.74 1,500.87 60,777.61 60,777.61 |
Notes:
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Restricted Funds include all sums we receive that are for a specific purpose. These presently comprise Sponsorship monies for Albella's resident boys and for the education of non-resident girls, gifts for higher education funding in India, and all other gifts for a specified purpose. Unrestricted Funds include all sums received that can be used at the Committee's discretion for the general benefit of Albella Boys Home.
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Included in the bank balances are sums received for sponsorship and for birthday and Christmas presents which have been, or will be, transferred to India after the accounting date. These include sums received in advance for future years' sponsorship amounting to £0.00 (2024: £0.00).
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Tax refunds due under the Gift Aid scheme but not claimed or received at 31st July 2025 amounted to £211.63 (2024: £213.88).
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4 Postage stamps previously bought but not used in the year amounted to £66.00 (2024: £80.95).
For and on behalf of the Committee:
Date:......................................1/11/2025 Niall Burroughs - Treasurer
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Friends of Albella Boys Home, Darjeeling
Registered Charity No. 1155956
Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31st July 2025
| Receipts Sponsorship For Education of girls in India For Higher Education Other donations General donations Legacy Bank and other interest Total receipts Payments Charitable Sponsorship India Retirement gift for the Principal Allowance for the Principal For Education of girls in India For Higher Education For General Purposes at Albella Bank charges Administrative Expenses Total payments Net excess/(deficit) of receipts over payments for the year Transferred between Funds Add: Balance brought forward Net balance carried forward Comprising: Sponsorship For Education of girls in India For Higher Education Other donations Payments in advance General |
Restricted Funds £ 33,065.68 2,074.37 300.00 405.81 35,845.86 32,900.00 3,150.00 36,050.00 1,850.00 250.00 153.13 38,303.13 38,303.13 -2,457.27 29,599.50 27,142.23 26,206.22 335.51 87.50 513.00 0.00 27,142.23 |
Unrestricted Funds £ 6,032.50 914.65 6,947.15 7,500.00 7,500.00 2,400.00 9,900.00 66.00 9,966.00 -3,018.85 31,178.11 28,159.26 28,159.26 28,159.26 |
Total Funds £ 33,065.68 2,074.37 300.00 0.00 6,032.50 1,320.46 42,793.01 32,900.00 7,500.00 3,150.00 43,550.00 1,850.00 250.00 2,400.00 153.13 48,203.13 66.00 48,269.13 -5,476.12 60,777.61 55,301.49 26,206.22 335.51 87.50 513.00 0.00 28,159.26 55,301.49 |
2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ 33,884.15 2,074.90 300.00 0.00 1,130.00 0.00 1,484.37 38,873.42 30,200.00 5,000.00 35,200.00 4,200.00 600.00 2,700.00 135.00 42,835.00 252.90 43,087.90 -4,214.48 64,992.09 60,777.61 |
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